Stacy Summary: I’m sure this was a totally innocent lapse. UPDATE: I have added story about the single body that approves new drugs for NHS having the pricing power to get Spanish drug maker to reduce new cancer drug price by 50%. The article points out that this is the third such success this year. It seems that many ‘free market’ (though there aren’t any) people against health care reform, usually would endorse this sort of pricing power when it happens say with Tesco getting avocados or chicken from a farmer, but when it is a similar monopoly power negotiating down life saving drugs . . . it’s bad? Thoughts?

@ frances snoot – It seems that this thread is advancing to a point beyond nonproductive. I’m a registered nurse, he’s a doctor. I’m no longer actively practicing, he is. I almost dropped my license over that threat of forced vaccination of health care workers in New York. My personal sovereignty is important to me. Every time I’ve taken the flu shot, I’ve had the flu even that is not supposed to happen. However, my daughter had reactive airway disease and I usually had her vaccinated because of her underlying respiratory issues. At this point in my life, I do not have to spend much time with the public except by choice and I am capable of doing more than nursing.

You object to the H1N1 vaccine and express a distrust of the vaccine, the science, and the herd mentality, if I understand your position correctly. I want to be left alone to accept or reject any form of medical intervention offered. He is coming from a public health perspective that recommends that we all “get on the bus” and protect others while protecting ourselves.

No minds will be changed. The topic of H1N1 is becoming a wall against which we are beating our heads. Nothing is gained. We are not adding to each other’s enlightenment. I’d rather beat up on a banker who is trying to take advantage of the public rather than a physician who is trying to protect the public even if we do disagree over one small item.

@Max and Stacy
Merck has twelve vaccines in production, including monopolies on the Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine, the chickenpox vaccine, and substantial immunization pipelines for the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine.

Gardasil was the vaccine which Merck got approved under Gerberding’s leadership. It was the vaccine that Merck attempted to get mandated for ALL girls in the United States and now is attempting to mandate for all boys in the United States.

I can think of no worse example of the revolving door between drug company/big pharma and the CDC than this terrible example of bribery.

When Gardasil was released in California, the California legislature actually attempted to pass a law that required all California girls to get mandated vaccines at 12-14 years of age.

Only one legislator rose to vocally oppose this bill. He was a Assemblyman from Lodi, Dr. Alan Nakanishi (R-Lodi). Nakanishi is currently planning on running for a new office after spending the last year out of the Assembly. He was termed out of office.

On the other hand, Julie Gerberding resigned from the CDC in January is now being rewarded for her patronage of Merck’s marketing policies with a multi-million dollar contract from the very drug company which benefitted from her approval of Gardasil two years ago.

I can think of no better example of the Big Pharma kleptocracy than having THE regulator employed by the corporation reviewed.

What a tremendous embarassment for the Bush Administration, the Republican Party, Merck, and the entire vaccine industry!

@ CalDoc The same thing happened with Gardasil here in Texas. Gov. Rick Perry attempted to get the same train rolling. It was an absolute outrage. He proposed to make Gardasil mandatory for girls. No Gardasil, no public school education. If the parents could not arrange for private school attendance or provide home schooling, the door would have been opened for Child Protective Services and the courts to intervene to be sure the girls would receive all mandatory vaccinations so they could attend school.

“Unless you are holed up in rural Wyoming and do not interact with any other people, you are going to be exposed or have been exposed to H1N1 this year.

The H1N1 virus this year is a different virus from regular influenza.

I see great commonality between those who deny the genocide, those who deny climate change, and those who think they are impervious to infectious disease.”

@SherriYoung:
This was Cal/Doc’s inflammatory statement that started the discourse rolling about HINI (which is the regular hini/a strain flu and not pandemic hini/a). He states that I began the ‘argument’, but the fact remains that he introduced the topic with a blunt disregard for the opinions of others on this forum. I wonder why you indicated that I was beating the doctor and ignore this?

@Sherri Young –
I believe Merck was attempting to legislate their vaccine into mandatory use. GSK is releasing a competing product. My guess is that Merck has hired the former CDC director in order to position for future payola games at ACIP and CDC.

Since Merck is being permitted to pull off this “back scratch” the reality is that they’re in position to pull it again with sitting people on the committees.

Since GSK competes with Merck and has a competing product for HPV immunization, the reality is that GSK is hurt badly by this move by Merck to hire a former CDC director. GSK, Pfizer (now owns Wyeth), and Sanofi should object formally to the hiring practices of Merck.

While we are on the “same side” on the HPV mandate, the H1N1 mandate is a bit different because front-line healthcare workers can become very ill if you get infected by the wrong H1N1 virus.

Please consider supporting immunization of H1N1 for all workers and yourself.

@fsnoot – as stated earlier, your debate tactics do not reflect an understanding of the clinical information, the molecular biology of influenza, and the appropriate modalities to prevent or treat the disease. Your incessant and incorrect statements are both tiresome and tangential.

The purpose of this board is to discuss the economics and politics impacting various aspects of global human existance. The board is clearly not intended to be a messaging system for the edification of your medical naivetee.

If you have these questions, please direct questions to your local public health agency or your local physician. I am neither for you personally. However, do not denigrate my training, my degrees, and my professional expertise with your factless, feckless personal attacks.

Your behavior reminds me of the tactics used by paid political operatives to influence public discourse on the internet.

@CalDoc:
And I’m sure I never directed any queries to you PERSONALLY, aside from the wish to verify your opinions. But I think those with grandiose delusions tend to believe they are the PERSONAL saviour of the planet. (Gordon Brown, et.al)…

The purpose of this board is to discuss the economics and politics impacting various aspects of global human existance. The board is clearly not intended to be a messaging system for the edification of your medical naivetee.

If I was naive I’d take your advice, Mr. doctor Doctored, and get that spurious vaccine for HINI/pandemic whatzit fluzit. But until the ‘medical experts’, reach some consensus on their individual tangential bone-shaking hip-grinding practice, I’d say ‘no, and no thank you': Roche be damned.